Saturday, November 14, 2009
Is Lonely Planet Right about Maputo?
Our Austrian neighbor, however, not only knew where Maputo was, he'd just been there the previous week! Apparently he is an avid birdwatcher and had taken a trip to South Africa to look at rare birds. He'd read in the Lonely Planet guidebook that Maputo is considered to be one of, if not the most beautiful African capitals, its streets lined with sidewalk cafes and acacia trees, its nights full of music and culture. Enticed by that description, he and a fellow birdwatcher drove up from the St. Lucia Wetlands to get a taste of the Mediterranean-Latin influenced city.
"Maputo is really a shithole, isn't it?" he said, sparing no judgment. "We expected something nice, but the whole city is run down, there are potholes in all the roads, there's nothing interesting for tourists to see, and we couldn't even find any good food. What a waste of a day."
Really??
I valiantly defended Maputo, saying that despite its tired infrastructure and the fact that you have to dig to find some of its most brilliant treasures, it really is a great city and that we enjoyed a very high quality of life there. Let's be honest: Rico and I - and the majority of expats and wealthy Mozambicans - lived like kings in Maputo.
It became obvious that we weren't going to convince the Austrian that Maputo was worth anyone's time, so I let the conversation die. It got me thinking, though, about exactly what makes people like a particular city or not, what things we value in our experiences, and the giant role that high expectations (or low ones, for that matter) have in finding satisfaction in the new things we do and places we visit.
Maputo, in particular, is a hit-or-miss kind of a place. I don't know that many people who feel lukewarm about the city. It seems you either love it, or are counting the minutes until you go somewhere else easier, more civilized, more convenient, more kept-up. I know plenty of people on both sides of that fence, for sure. And although Rico and I were ready to move on to the next chapter after 5.5 and 4.5 years in Mozambique, respectively, it wasn't out of dissatisfaction with the city or with our lives there. More than anything, we were burned out in our jobs and both felt the need to follow our hearts professionally speaking. For me, that meant going to art school and becoming a jeweler; for Rico, it meant a return to his roots in investment banking and finance.
But back to Maputo. I've had countless people ask me over the years if it's worth it to visit. My answer is highly dependent on the person. For example, I'd never recommend to Rico's dad that he spend time in Mozambique's capital - he's much more of a Medjumbe, Cape Town or even exclusive Kruger lodge kind of a guy. My friend H. from high school had memories of fun-filled trips visiting me in Rio in her mind and ended up sorely disappointed by Maputo, and by Mozambique in general. My mom, on the other hand, heard from the minute we set foot in Maputo how much I thought she'd enjoy a visit. She ended up coming twice, and loved both trips.
What makes someone love Maputo or not? Would you recommend it as a destination for friends or family on vacation? Would you recommend it as a place to live? I suppose these questions are at the heart of why many of you read my blog in the first place, but I thought I'd open it up to commenters to add to my thoughts.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Half a World Away
Other than the people, there are definitely things I miss about Maputo:
- fresh, delicious piri-piri at all restaurants
- plentiful, cheap seafood
- the slang!
- grunts, groans, whistles and other exclamations that help spice up a conversation
- weekend trips to Macaneta, Bilene, Inhaca, Kruger Park
- the tropical rain and lightning storms
- looking out over Vila Algarve
- jacarandas and flamboyants thick with lilac and scarlet blossoms
- vinho verde as our summer drink of choice
- using the pool at Hotel Terminus
- pastel de natas, rissois and good curry
- having such an international group of friends and colleagues
- telling my life story and not feeling at all different or pretentious
- music at Gil Vicente, CFM, the Franco-Moçambicano and Africa Bar
- dancing (when we actually managed to stay up that late)
- eating carvoada (grill-it-yourself fillet mignon, prawns and fruit) at Manjar dos Deuses
- the Macau restaurant, still the best Chinese food I've ever eaten
- text messaging everyone, from friends to the Minister of Agriculture
- mani/pedi at DeCali with Dona Celeste
- Zeca, his wife and little Alizinha
- fantastic Halloween parties
- the cooking and logistics that went into our annual Thanksgiving celebration
- lazy afternoon braais
- relatively easy access to beads from Ilha de Moçambique
- minimal cold weather
- being 6-10 hours ahead of everyone (the time difference living in California is killing me!)
- the occasional random peacock spotted wandering around the city streets
- sundowners with friends...
I could go on forever it seems, sappy old me...
Sunday, November 08, 2009
Fotografia, Finally
The definite highlight of the day was touring the caves at the Del Dotto winery. We sampled various blends right from the barrel using a glass tool called a wine thief. The wines were stellar, definitely worth the price of the tour (which was small, just 8 people or so). If I had to make a recommendation to anyone wanting to do a wine tour, this would be it.
More photos on the way soon. Tomorrow we are getting our next round of visitors - Rico's aunt and uncle from Rio - so I'm sure we'll have some fun touring around with them. Also, we're trying to get the house clean before their visit (they are actually staying here at Casa Cali), so perhaps it will be photo-ready as a result.
Friday, November 06, 2009
More US Observations
- Rico always jokes that he can spot people from the US in the airport - in particular men - because the travel uniform of choice always involves tennis shoes (running shoes/cross trainers is more accurate - I use one of the more incorrect regionalisms when it comes to talking about all-purpose exercise shoes). Now plenty of people travel wearing sport shoes, it's just that Americans many times wear their running shoes with an outfit that is nearly formal, like slacks and a button-down, collared shirt. I guess it's the clothes equivalent of the good old mullet: business in the front, party in the back. Except here it's business up top, comfort on the bottom. Seriously, I've never seen tennis shoes worn in so many different contexts. Sometimes it makes me cringe (prairie dress with 1980's Reeboks??), but there is an upside: I can wear my new Adidas whenever I feel like it and rest assured that there will be no questioning looks thrown my way.
- Why do we have so many ads for medicines on tv? Do other countries advertise health options like this??
- The California Accent. Yes, this pertains only to a portion of this great state's diverse population, but it's quite noticeable for someone from out of state (or country). The defining characteristic is that all statements, queries, prases, observations, etc. end with the voice going up in register. To me it sounds like everything is a question. I don't even know how to describe it in words. Maybe I should do a video blog to illustrate! Anyone know what I'm talking about here??
- New vocabulary: staycation, funemployment, ill (and illest), ending words with variations of -sheezy, -iggity, -izzle and other funny sounds.
- If we had a dollar for every time Rico and I are asked if we speak Spanish we'd be halfway through our mortgage payment by now. Poor Brazilians...I know this is a sore spot for many. Perhaps with the Rio Olympics more people will become aware that Latin America's largest country speaks Portuguese, not Spanish. Still, to be fair, many Brazilians are quite ignorant when it comes to their fellow Lusophone countries. For example, we were frequently asked by friends and family in Brazil if they speak French in Mozambique. Sigh...I guess we all could use a refresher in geography and languages of the world at some point.
- The Bay Area is the most incredible place ever for restaurants. You can find any kind of cuisine, any price point, any style imaginable. Want Nepalese food? Check. Raw food? No problem. Just in our 4-block neighborhood downtown we have the following restaurant options: Chinese, Thai, takeout pizza, Vegan, Mediterranean, Brazilian (yes! with feijoada completa on Saturdays!), Mexican, two delis, a high-end Continental restaurant in a hotel, and a Starbucks.
What more could we want?? :)
Alexandra Amaro on the Web
Cluster of antique trade beads found at Mozambique Island, freshwater pearls, sterling silver.
See my online shop at http://www.alexandraamaro.etsy.com for more pieces!
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
One Month
That's just step one, though. I worked very hard to prepare an essay that captures why I am taking this leap to become a full-time jeweler. It took me a couple of all-nighters, but I am seriously happy with the final document. Since CCA does rolling admissions, I should know in about a month whether or not I've been accepted for the Spring 2010 semester. Fingers crossed!
Now that my school application is finished, I feel like a massive mental space has been freed up. The ideas are flowing, I am excited to get my business properly set up, and I literally have to carry around a notebook all the time to be able to capture all of my thoughts. It's exciting, but the size of my to-do list keeps me in line. ;)
Rico and I spent a few days in New Mexico last week, which was very nice. I'm still trying to get over the fact that it only takes us 2 hours to go visit my dad, and that we can go to Albuquerque more frequently than once every 1.5 years. Living closer sure changes the dynamic of trips to visit family and friends, that's for sure. I'd almost forgotten what it's like to just hang out and not have to squash every single thing into an 8-day trip.
So we've been in the US now for just over a month and I'm still processing through the transition, the occasional bouts of culture shock, the saudades for Mozambique and our lovely life in Maputo. It's just as bitter-sweet as when we said goodbye, which is strange considering all that we are excited about and that we have to look forward to here in our Casa Cali life.
My friend Jose said, after moving back to the Bay Area after 1 year in Mozambique, that it felt as if he were in a black hole the entire first month or two he was back. I definitely appreciate that. It's been quite the transition. Only now do I feel rested enough, adjusted enough...ready to do anything but errands and school applications and sleep. I want to be social again, see my friends that live in the Bay, meet some new people, go to a Pilates class, start dancing Nia again, go hiking, purchase jewelry supplies, set up my studio, print business cards, design my website, work in the garden, cook delicious fresh meals...
Before I sign off, a couple of generalized observations about coming back to the US:
- Americans tend to be very casual, both in appearance and in speech...from the grown-ass women who go to the DMV wearing pajama bottoms and slippers, to the guy in line behind me at the grocery store who told me all about his son being evicted as if it were no big deal to chat with strangers about his family's private life, the level of "comfort" definitely stands out.
- Milk is a completely acceptable beverage to accompany a meal. Any time of day, any cuisine.
- There are coupons for *everything*. I find it hard to believe that there are people out there content to pay full price when it is so easy, with just a few minutes of searching per day, to find discounts. You do have to be organized, though, to take advantage of the savings. Nothing worse than arriving at Home Depot only to find you forgot the MiracleGro coupon on the kitchen counter.
- Infomercials are still going strong. I'm tempted to buy the fresh-forever tupperware kit, and curious about the prices I'd be offered for my mismatched jewelry.
- This country is in the throes of a severe Blackberry and iPod addiction. Many times I am the only person on BART not talking or listening to music. Rico and I still haven't set up voicemail on our cell phones, and I'm amused by the number of people who think we're out of our minds because of it. I suppose nearly 5 years without voicemail has made me forget about it as a communication tool, although I've become an avid text-er in the meantime.
Now that I'm carrying around a notebook, hopefully I'll be able to record more of these cross-cultural musings more accurately. ;)
Thursday, October 22, 2009
The Light
I am overwhelmed - in a good way - by my school application. I want to study jewelry design and metalsmithing, and that requires a good old-fashioned entrance essay as well as a 20 image portfolio. The essay I can knock out with no problem; it's the portfolio that is making me a bit anxious.
I've been sketching quite a bit the last few days, including a self-portrait that went down like a tasty slice of humble pie, and still have a couple more images to produce. I also bought a table-top studio for photographing my jewelry. I know you can make them at home quite cheaply, but for me this is one of the best investments I've made in recent memory. I need to tinker with the camera settings a little more, and tomorrow I'm urgently going to buy a tripod in the morning, but even if I have no more time and no tripod, the photos I'm taking at present are, in my opinion, good enough for my portfolio.
In the midst of getting my school application ready, I worked my tail off last week to finish my final consulting assignment (for the time being) in Mozambique. It was this giant business plan about community maize mills in the 'grain belt' in the norther part of the country. It was interesting about 4 months ago, but I am so burned out it was more than a bit torturous to finish the job. Still, I put in the effort (including a marathon all-nighter on Sunday) and am really happy to be done. The pending document was taking up mental space that, quite frankly, I don't have to spare at this point. I both need and want to concentrate on other things now that we are in Casa Cali.
So, other than school and jewelry, what are some of the things occupying my mental space?
- My translating business (this is my counterpoint to making jewelry - it's good work and pays pretty well, plus it keeps my language skills sharp). I registered with the Northern California Translator's Association, am signed up for a workshop on using Trados translating software next month, and am getting ready to sit for the national certification exam for translating into Portuguese.
- Etsy. I have long-term plans for a website of my own, but until then I am sticking with Etsy for my jewelry sales. I am going to update with new pieces in the next 2 weeks. Check out www.alexandraamaro.etsy.com for some unique holiday gift ideas featuring 300-year-old trade beads from Mozambique Island.
- Decorating. I have my studio/office somewhat organized, but there is still a lot I want to do in order to make it the beautiful and inspiring space I envision. I want to paint the walls (of course!) and am leaning toward a light, muted pumpkin spice color. The room is full of fabulous antique furniture I inherited from my dad's side of the family, and I plan on re-upholstering the loveseat and wing chair in a lilac brocade (both have been torn to pieces by multiple generations of my family's cats - suffice to say they're in need of some restoration and love). On the walls thus far I've put some Mexican bark paintings in the arte naif style I appreciate so much, and a fabric wall-hanging from Cuba that features a woman reclining with a fan and peacocks and sunflowers in the background. It is one of my absolute favorite pieces of art (I bought it in Havana several years ago and have since hauled it to Austin, Brazil, Mozambique and now Cali) and I'm happy to have it in a place where I spend so much time.
- Earthquakes. I got this publication at Home Depot called "Putting down roots in earthquake country". It scared the shit out of me, but I suppose that's its purpose. I'm slowly going through the checklists they provide: personal emergency kits, shoes and flashlights under the bed, household emergency kit, etc. We need to have Casa Cali retrofitted at some point, but for now I'm preparing what is within my reach.
- New Mexico. Rico and I are going for a visit next week. I can't wait!
Ok...time for me to get off the computer. I have a long day of photography and sketching ahead of me tomorrow, so I need my rest (and my requisite episode of Law and Order before bed).
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
28
The highlight of my day today was lunch with my mom and Rico at this lovely French restaurant in Marin County. It was not where we'd planned to go, but today was one of those days where scheduling anything seemed futile. There was a giant rainstorm - remanants of a typhoon - that soaked the Bay and made you appreciate what it must be like to drive in a wind tunnel. We got lost in the city, stuck in terrible traffic when they closed the bridge we needed to cross to go home, and took an improvised but beautiful detour around San Pablo Bay as a result.
It was one of those days when, upon finally arriving back at Casa Cali at the end of the day, all I wanted to do was put on a pair of slippers, curl up with a blanket and watch Law and Order. Rico bought us a bottle of Moet and some Fiddle Faddle popcorn at the local market to prepare for the trash TV marathon, and the friendly clerk there threw in a pint of Haagen Dazs on the house. This is the kind of neighborhood we live in. People look out for each other, bring gifts of baked goods for no apparent reason, give free ice cream treats. :)
Rico and I are still loving our new home. Every day I actually look forward to waking up early, having coffee while looking at the view over the water, and planning what useful things I will do throughout the day. The previous owners of our house completely abandoned the garden, and now Rico and I have massive, overgrowth thickets of blackberries, ivy and weeds to tame. Blackberries are much better as an end product than as a backyard resident. They are full of thorns and put down root systems that put all other plants to shame. We have to wear double-layer kevlar gloves to even have a chance at cutting back the blackberries. It's hard work, but definitely satisfying (especially when we think of what the garden will look like in the spring).
Being in Casa Cali is an exciting way to start out being 28. I have a good feeling about what the coming year will bring.
* My birthday is actually October 13th. I need to update my google settings because they are apparently still on Maputo time (where it is already tomorrow).
